Thu, 29 Aug 2019 21:58:23 -0700WeeblyTue, 02 Jul 2019 14:32:50 GMThttp://www.bedequemuseum.ca/blog/newsletter-2019NEWSLETTER 2019Now that the leaves have finally appeared on the trees, we are pleased to be able to get out an early summer issue of the BAHS Newsletter.We hope you will be able to visit the Museum this summer, especially to see our new exhibits which will open shortly. There is a new display on two nursing heroines of the Great War with local connections; a display of signature quilts made in the Bedeque and Freetown areas in the early part of the twentieth century; and a new display telling the story of L. M. Montgomery’s connection with Bedeque.Several other exhibits continue from previous years, including the ‘Bedeque Harbour Loyalists’, the ‘Borden Ferry 100’ exhibit, the Mi’kmaq Culture exhibit, the Five Objects Interactive Display, and our core displays on Callbecks Store and the Red Barn Collection of the late Howard Clark.(A REMINDER: Memberships are renewable in July. You can renew your membership at the AGM on 22 July or by posting a cheque made out to the Bedeque Area Historical Society to the postal address on the first page of this newsletter, along with your name and contact details, including email. The annual subscription is $20 for individuals and $25 for families or households. These subscriptions are an important source of our income, enabling us to carry out our programs, and we thank you for renewing it.)SUMMER OPENING HOURSThis summer the Museum opens to the public from Tuesday 18 June and will continue to Sunday 1 September. Our hours are the same as in previous years: Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays 1 pm to 5 pm (closed Mondays). The Museum will also be open on Sunday afternoons up to October 13, staffed by volunteers. The Museum can also be opened by special arrangement outside these times, and off-season, by contacting members of the Board (see below for names).SUMMER STUDENT WORKERSWe have received government grants to enable us to employ two students to staff the Museum this summer: a provincial ‘Jobs for Youth’ grant for twelve weeks, and a federal ‘Young Canada Works’ grant also for up to twelve weeks. Callie Campbell of Central Bedeque, who has been with us for the past three summers, has come back to work for us again. However, as of the date of this Newsletter, we have not yet filled the Young Canada Works.We have four new exhibits this summer:TWO ISLAND NURSES OF THE GREAT WARA major exhibition will tell the stories of two First World War nurses both with Bedeque connections: Georgina Pope of Charlottetown whose father William Henry Pope (the Father of Confederation) was born in Bedeque, and Beatrice MacDonald of North Bedeque. Both of these highly decorated nurses served in France and Belgium. There will be extensive poster displays, with additional items relating to the War from the P.E.I. Military Museum and from the Howard Clark Collection.The Georgina Pope exhibit is based on the book of Katherine Dewar, Called To Serve – Georgina Pope, Canadian Military Nursing Heroine. It was created by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation and has been shown in other Island venues including Summerside and Charlottetown. It will only be with us for this summer.The exhibit on Beatrice MacDonald has been created by the Bedeque Museum as an addition to the Pope exhibit. Beatrice was descended from a Scottish family – Gaelic-speaking and Catholic – who settled in 1792 among the English-speaking Protestant Loyalists on the northern bank of the Dunk estuary at what is now North Bedeque. Like Georgina Pope, Beatrice was trained in a New York City hospital, and she served with the American Army during the war and became the most decorated nurse to serve in the First World War.SIGNATURE QUILTS OF THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY FROM THE BEDEQUE AND FREETOWN AREASThis new exhibit was sparked by the publicity in 2017 about the ‘discovery’ of a quilt made in Freetown in 1928 with the names of over 160 persons embroidered into it. Since then five other local ‘signature quilts’ of about the same era have come to light. All were sewn by women from Freetown, North Bedeque, Bedeque and Chelton. They were made by local church and other women’s groups for the purpose of raising money for good causes. Every person who donated a set fee (sometimes only ten cents) had their signature sewn into the quilt, and then the quilt itself was sold, or auctioned off, to raise more money. All the names are listed in the exhibit so that visitors can check whether any of their ancestors contributed. There will also be displays mapping the homes of the signatories, and photographs of some of the persons whose names are on the quilts will be displayed.L. M. MONTGOMERY’S SECRET BEDEQUE ROMANCEWhen the first volume of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s personal journals were published in 1985, 43 years after her death, the world learned that she had had a ‘secret passion’ for Herman Leard, a young Bedeque farmer at whose home she boarded for six months in 1897-1898 when she was teaching at the Lower Bedeque School. In a new poster display we tell the story of this ‘secret romance’A DISPLAY OF THREE LONGCASE CLOCKSWendell Feener of Reads Corner, an enthusiastic collector and restorer of clocks of all ages and periods has offered to display three of his antique long-case clocks, dating from the late-eighteenth to the late nineteenth centuries. Popularly known as ‘grandfather’ clocks, with smaller versions called ‘grandmother’ and ‘granddaughter’ clocks, three of these beautifully restored clocks, all in running order, can be viewed – and heard – in the museum this summer. Wendell has also repaired and restored the ‘school clock’ from our Howard Clark Collection. Wendell will be present on our free open day on July 14 to talk to visitors, and answer their questions on clock-making and repairs.THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW EXHIBITS – SATURDAY JULY 6, 10.30 amAll members and friends, as well as the general public, are invited to this free official opening. The new exhibitions have been funded in part by a grant from the P.E.I. Community Museums Association, which covered the cost of printing the new posters displayed in the exhibit.Three of the summer talks are concerned with aspects of the exhibit: those on Mondays July 22, and August 5 and 12 (see below).CONTINUING EXHIBITS‘THE BEDEQUE HARBOUR LOYALISTS’ Our expanded exhibit on the Bedeque Harbour Loyalists of last summer continues and is now part of our permanent display on the Loyalist settlement around Bedeque Bay. The settlement included persons of the names Anderson, Darby, Green, Hooper, Lefurgey, Linkletter, MacFarlane, Murray, Robins, Schurman, Silliker, Small, Strang, Waugh and Wright. The exhibit includes maps showing where particular families settled and also offers new insights as to why they settled in the Bedeque Bay area. This summer a major addition to the display are images of historic maps from the P.E.I. Public Archives, dating from the 1780s and later, which show the location of Loyalist land grants around ‘Bedeque Harbour’ (now Summerside Harbour’). The printing of these maps was funded by a grant last year from the Community Cultural Partnership Program of the P.E.I. Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture.We are grateful to David Schurman and his family for the continuing loan of the many items from last year’s ‘Valley Farm’ exhibit, which also continues this summer. These tell the story of Solomon and Maria Schurman and their descendants, including the tragic loss of four of their eight children to diphtheria in 1863.‘THE BORDEN FERRY-100’ EXHIBITA major part of our ‘Borden Ferry-100’ exhibit continues in the Museum this summer. Ten storyboards tell the stories of the various vessels that served in the crossing and also of some of the people who worked on the ferries. Also on display are many objects connected with the ferries, loaned from private collections.

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NEWSLETTER 2019 CONTINUEDAN EXHIBIT ON MI’KMAQ CULTURE AND WAY OF LIFE Also continuing on display are three storyboards describing Mi’kmaq culture and way of life prior to the arrival of Europeans, as well as during the French Colonial Period (c. 1600 to 1758) and the British Colonial Period (1758 to c. 1900). Connected with this is a display of Mi’kmaq baskets, while several short films on Mi’kmaq heritage created by Ron Zakar for the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island are shown.FIVE OBJECTS TELLING THE STORY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND We are again continuing the ‘Five Objects Interactive Display’, though with some new items – and more than five this year. For each object there are questions on a card asking about its significance or use, with the answers given under a flap. As a starter try the one to the right: last year more than one person said it was a crow, though the bird is no bigger than a robin! The second question might be harder to answer.CALLBECKS STOREOur permanent exhibit telling the story of Callbecks Store of Central Bedeque, which occupied the building that houses the Museum, from 1899 until 1993, continues.THE HOWARD CLARK COLLECTIONOver two floors we continue to display many items from the Red Barn Museum collection of the late Howard Clark.STRAWBERRY and ICE-CREAM SOCIAL – SUNDAY JULY 14, 2 - 4 pmAs a major fund-raising event the Bedeque Area Historical Society will be holding its second annual Strawberry and Ice-cream Social on Sunday July 14 from 2 to 4 pm in the Central Bedeque Park, opposite the Museum. Last year’s social proved to be highly successful attracting 134 persons and raising an additional $1000 in supportive donations from local businesses. Strawberries, cake and ice-cream will be served. In the event of rain, the event will be held in the Community Room of the William Callbeck Centre. Purchase of a ticket will also give free entry to the Museum.Tickets are $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children aged twelve and under (this includes free access to the Museum). Entertainment will be provided and there will be raffles and draws for prizes. All proceeds are in support of the Museum’s work.A GRANT AND AWARD FROM THE P.E.I. COMMUNITY MUSEUMS ASSOCIATIONThis year we received a Development Grant of $3,000 from the P.E.I. Community Museums Association to buy a new display cabinet, a new sound broadcast system for our Monday night talks, and for printing new posters for this summer’s exhibits.Doug Sobey given the Community Museum Association Award of MeritAt their Annual General Meeting held at the Acadian Museum in Miscouche on 25 May, the Community Museums Association of the Island gave its Award of Merit to Doug Sobey, President of the Bedeque Area Museum for his volunteer work with the Museum. He has been a member of the Museum’s Board since its founding in 2010, and was chosen as President last year. He has contributed to many of the activities carried out by the Museum and especially to the creation of many of the Museum’s exhibitsA SEAFOOD RAFFLE IN SUPPORT OF THE MUSEUM Last year’s raffle of a painting of lupines donated by artist Grace Curtis of Summerside raised over one thousand dollars in support of the Museum’s work. The draw took place on October 16 with the winning ticket being drawn by the Mayor of Bedeque, Ron Rayner. The winner of the painting was Helen Perry of St. Felix.This year we have as raffle prizes a total of $400 worth of seafood: the first prize is a $250 voucher from Arsenault’s Fish Mart in Summerside, which can be used to buy lobster (or any seafood you wish). Second prize is $100 worth of oysters donated by Future Seafood of Fernwood; and third prize is a $50 voucher, again from Arsenault’s Fish Mart. (Arsenault’s have donated $100 towards the vouchers.) The winners do not have to purchase all of the vouchers’ value at once but can do so in instalments over the next year including into next summer (for a winner who may live off the Island). The draw will take place at the end of our open day on Sunday 25 August. If you wish to buy a ticket you can pick one up at the Museum, and we would be pleased if you also took some to sell.THE AGM OF THE BEDEQUE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETYOur tenth AGM will be held on Monday July 22 at 7 pm in the Community Room of the William Callbeck Centre. Board member and President, Doug Sobey will give an illustrated talk on ‘The Natural World of L. M. Montgomery: Montgomery as a Recorder of Nature’ (see below for details).The Annual meeting of the Society will take place after Doug’s talk and will include the election of members of the Board. The Board is always seeking new members. If you have an interest in local history and the Bedeque Museum, consider serving on the Board. You can put your name forward at the meeting, but you may wish to discuss it in advance with any of the present Board members whose names are listed below and whose telephone numbers are in the phonebook.The present Board members are Doug Sobey (President), Valerie Curtis (Vice-President), Don Jardine (Secretary), Susan Leard (Treasurer), Percy Affleck, Bill Callbeck, Lloyd MacCallum, Danny McLure, George Read, Tom Sherry and Earle Smith.PETER VANIDERSTINEWe were saddened at the death of Board member Peter VanIderstine last September after a brief illness. Peter was President of the Abegweit Branch of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada and had been a member of the Board of the Bedeque Area Historical Society since 2013. Peter was very proud of his Loyalist heritage: he was a descendant of Loyalist John VanIderstine who settled at Vernon River in 1785. Peter himself had been born in Belfast P.E.I. and, after serving for almost 50 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, had retired to Prince Edward Island. He played a principal role in organizing the 2016 Annual Meeting of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada which was held in Summerside and included a visit to the Bedeque Area Museum by all the delegates. He also donated a large number of Loyalist-related books to the Museum’s book collection, and as a commemoration of his contribution to the Museum the Board is placing a plaque in his memory in our Library.TALKS AND RELATED EVENTSOur weekly program of talks continues again this summer. They will all take place in the Community Room of the William Callbeck Centre in Central Bedeque (entry is through the Museum). All are held on Monday evenings in July and August and begin at 7 p.m. There is no admission charge but donations are welcome. We will be using for the first time our new Bose sound system, purchased with a grant from the Community Museums Association.‘Just What Did Our Ancestors Wear?’Monday July 8 at 7 pm – Arnold Smith of Pleasant Valley kicks off the series of talks by asking a question: ‘Just what did our ancestors wear?’ Arnold will then go on to provide answers. Over the past thirty years he has gathered extensive information on the topic and has amassed a large library of reference books and patterns along with a substantial collection of vintage and reproduction clothing. Using clothing from past periods, as well as reproductions, he will demonstrate clothing styles and materials from the past, ranging from homemade clothes to tailor-made and store-bought – hand-dyed, machine-woven, hand-sewn and machine-sewn – in linen, wool, cotton and silk. Arnold will have a ‘dress form’ that he will proceed to dress and undress to show us what exactly lay underneath all that crinoline and lace.Loyalists, Immigration, and the Formation of British North America’Monday July 15 at 7 pm – Dr. Lisa Chilton, an associate professor in the History Department at the University of Prince Edward Island will give a talk related to the Museum’s remit on the Loyalist settlement of Prince Edward Island. Under the title ‘Loyalists, Immigration, and the Formation of British North America’, she will describe how the settlers who came north as refugees to the remaining loyal colonies after the American Revolution played an unusually important role in how subsequent immigration would be imagined and managed by the British and colonial governments. She will also explore the ways in which Loyalists put their stamp on immigration policies and practices in the decades after their own settlement.‘The Natural World of Lucy Maud Montgomery’Monday July 22 at 7 pm – The AGM of the BAHS – Doug Sobey will give an illustrated talk on ‘The Natural World of Lucy Maud Montgomery – L. M. Montgomery as a Recorder of Nature’. Based on a detailed examination of the many references to trees and woods in Montgomery’s non-fictional writings (her journals and letters especially), Doug will assess the well-known Island author not as a writer of fictional novels, but as an ‘historical recorder’ of the Island’s landscape. He will describe the places and natural habitats important to Montgomery and will assess what her writings tell us about her, and especially about her relationships with trees and plants. He will also talk a little about Maud Montgomery’s time teaching‘Downtown Freetown – in the late 1940s and early 1950s’: A Film NightMonday July 29 at 7 pm – Last March the Bedeque Area Historical Society hosted a film night at the Freetown United Church which proved such a great success (over fifty people attended) that we have been asked to repeat it. The films were taken by Mrs. Lillian Scales with an 8-mm home-movie camera and range in date from 1946 to 1957. They were centered about the Scales home in Freetown village but extend around the whole Freetown area. The films, which are mostly in colour, show many Freetown inhabitants of the day, including children attending the old Freetown School. They also show farming activities on the Scales farm, children skating and playing in the snow, fishing in the local brooks, and the arrival of the first pavement at Freetown in 1955. There is a tour of the inside and outside the Scales home, and many other activities. Some narration of the film will be provided by Nora Scales and other Freetowners of that era. Bring along any of your photos of Freetown from the 1940s and 1950s (or before or after) for viewing by those in attendance. We will also have projection facilities for these if they are in a digital format on a memory stick.‘Beatrice MacDonald of North Bedeque, the Most Decorated Nurse of the Great War’Monday August 5 at 7 pm – Myrna Babineau of Charlottetown will give an illustrated talk on Beatrice Mary MacDonald of North Bedeque (born 1881, died 1969), one of the nurses featured in our exhibit ‘Two Island Nurses of the Great War’. While serving with an American medical unit (she had trained in New York) and temporarily attached to a British Casualty Clearing Station, Beatrice was the first serious American casualty of the First World War. (Beatrice was actually serving as a Canadian citizen and British subject, not taking out American citizenship until after the war.) She was also the most decorated nurse serving in any army nursing corps, from any country. Myrna is a cousin of Beatrice and has done extensive research on her renowned relative.‘Nurse Whidden, Daughter of the Manse – North Bedeque’s Forgotten Heroine’Monday August 12 at 7 pm – Katherine Dewar of Charlottetown, who spoke to us last summer on Georgina Pope, will give an illustrated talk this year on another nurse of the Great War who had local connections. Educated at North Bedeque, Prince of Wales College and Newport Hospital Training School for Nurses (in Rhode Island), Helen Whidden was part of a medical team sent to France by the Rockefeller Center of New York City to develop new methods of treating First World War battle wounds. The resultant Carrel-Dakin method of wound care saved thousands of lives. Whidden also pioneered the Thezac-Porsmeur method of tuberculosis treatment. Katherine will tell us all about the achievements of this forgotten heroine.OUR NEIGHBOURBaba’s Kitchen, Antiques and Gifts directly next door to the Museum has become a popular eating place in the area, with people coming from as far as Charlottetown to partake of its menu. The decor is traditional, with a kitchen atmosphere and the food and prices are very attractive.When you visit the Museum, why not stop in for a meal or an ice-cream cone. It is open every day except Mondays and Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (On Saturdays it opens at 8 a.m.)￼]]>Mon, 02 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.bedequemuseum.ca/blog/talks-and-seminars-this-summerA ‘HISTORY CIRCLE’ ON ‘HOWARD CLARK AND THE RED BARN MUSEUM’Monday July 2 at 7 pm – Local-history enthusiast George Dalton of Summerside will lead a history circle on ‘Howard Clark and the Red Barn Museum’. The evening will be informal – with chairs arranged in a circle, and people can contribute as much or as little as they wish. We will also be showing clips from video interviews of Howard talking about his life and his collection, which the Museum recorded in 2010 at the time of the donation of his collection to the Bedeque Area Historical Society. All are welcome, including those who never met Howard or visited the Red Barn Museum, but we particularly welcome friends and relatives who knew Howard and who can tell us stories about him.

A TALK on: ‘The Bedeque Harbour Loyalists : where they settled and why’.Monday July 9 at 7 pm – Doug Sobey will give an illustrated talk examining the settlement of Loyalists around Bedeque Bay in 1784 and the years following. He will also examine the various lists and records of the Loyalist families, show where they settled around the harbour and why they settled in the areas they did. As well he will consider what is known of the background in the Thirteen Colonies of the families who settled at Bedeque, including families with names of Anderson, Darby, Green, Lefurgey, Linkletter, MacFarlane, Murray, Silliker, Small, Strang, Waugh and Wright. He will also present new insights into the reasons why the Loyalists settled around what was then known as Bedeque Harbour.

A TALK and HISTORY CIRCLE on: ‘The Valley Farm, a Schurman family farm since 1839’.Monday July 16 at 7 pm – Doug Sobey, with David Schurman and others, will lead a history circle and talk on the ‘Valley Farm’, which has been in the Schurman family since 1839, when it was purchased by Isaac Schurman (a son of William the Loyalist) for his son Solomon. A rich family archives of photographs and written records has survived in the family and some of these will be shown in this illustrated talk.

The AGM, with a TALK on: ‘William Schurman the Loyalist’.Monday July 23 at 7 pm – The AGM of the BAHS – Doug Sobey will give an illustrated talk on ‘William Schurman of New Rochelle, New York and Bedeque, Prince Edward Island’ (see above for further information).

A TALK on: ‘Immigration to Prince Edward Island and Canada from the British Isles in the 19th Century’.Monday August 6 at 7 pm – Lisa Chilton of the History Department of the University of Prince Edward Island will give a talk on immigration to Canada and Prince Edward Island from the British Isles in the nineteenth century.

A TALK on: Georgina Pope – Canadian Military Nursing HeroineMonday August 13 at 7 pm – Katherine Dewar of Charlottetown will talk about the subject of her recent book, Georgina Pope, an Island woman who became a Canadian military nursing heroine in World War I. Georgina’s father William Henry Pope, the Father of Confederation, was born in Bedeque. Katherine will have copies of her book, Called to Serve, Georgina Pope, on sale at the talk.

​Our eighth AGM will be held onMonday 17 July at 7 pm in the Bedeque Baptist Church. Historian and archivist Sharon Leighton, one of the founders of the Bedeque Museum, is the guest speaker and will give a talk on the history of the early Baptist Church in Bedeque.Museum memberships for the current year are due from the beginning of July and may be renewed at the meeting (for individuals it is $20, for families or households, $25). Bring your friends to the meeting and encourage them to support the Museum by becoming members.The AGM will take place in the adjacent church hall after Sharon’s talk and includes the election of members of the Board. The Board is always seeking new members. If you interested in local history and in the Bedeque Museum consider serving on the Board, and having your name put forward, you can have a word about it in advance with any of the present Board members whose names are listed below and whose telephone numbers are in the phonebook.The present Board members are Lloyd MacCallum (President), Bill Callbeck (Vice-President), Don Jardine (Secretary), Susan Leard (Treasurer), Percy Affleck, Greg Corbett, Valerie Curtis, Tom Sherry, George Read, Earle Smith, Doug Sobey and Peter Vaniderstine.

​The Bedeque Museum is taking part in another activity funded by Canada 150, one that has been organized by the Community Museums Association of PEI. As soon as you enter the Museum you will see a special display consisting of five objects from the Museum’s collection which have selected by us to tell an aspect of the history of Canada. Our collection being Island-based means that most of the items chosen are specific to Island history, but then the Island has been part of Canada for 144 years, and so they qualify! On your visit we want you to think about the contribution that each of these five objects has made to the history of the Island and so, of Canada. We would also like you to think about the objects in today’s world that we should be collecting in order to preserve our history to Canadians 100 years from now. We encourage you to come to the Museum to see the five items and to write down your thoughts.

This summer we are presenting a new exhibition to commemorate the centenary of the first ferry crossing between ‘Port Borden’, Prince Edward Island and Cape Tormentine in New Brunswick. Thereafter, for eighty years (from 1917 to 1997) ‘the Borden ferry’ was the principal means of transport to and from the mainland for Islanders and their goods. The establishment of the service also led to the creation of ‘Port Borden’, which, because workers on the ferry wanted to be near their workplace, evolved into the town of Borden, which is today known as Borden-Carleton. During the past winter, several Board members have been interviewing some of the many people who worked on the ferries and at the terminal. One of these, Lorne Cousins, began work as far back as 1934, and was actually a tiny baby when the SS Prince Edward Island made that first crossing on 16 October 1917! We will be displaying items from the collections of several past ferry workers and descendants of workers, as well as some items from the P.E.I. Museum. We have also created ten posterboards telling the stories of the various vessels that served in the crossing and also of some of the people who worked on the service.

​The exhibit will be officially opened on Saturday July 8 at 10.30 am and all members and friends, as well as the general public, are invited to this free event. This exhibit is being funded in part by the government of Canada through the Canada 150 fund.

In the wake of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) many subjects who decided to remain loyal to Britain were left with very few choices. Forced by “Patriots” to surrender duality and swear off their allegiance to the crown, approximately 65-70 000 British subjects, later given the honorary status of the “United Empire Loyalists”, fled to various British colonies such as Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario and Quebec), Florida, and even the Atlantic Canada. Following the Treaty of Paris which ended the war in 1783, the remaining Loyalists were evacuated from America and were provided with land grants and basic supplies, usually ranging from 100-200 acres. Roughly 2000 loyalists settled in Prince Edward Island and specifically, many resided in the Bedeque Area, leaving a strong presence in the community. The large copper pot (left) was used by the Anderson family for a variety of tasks from preparing pot ash for further production in Europe, to making lye soap, and even producing maple syrup as can be seen in the painting depicting the process. Many families who live in Bedeque can still claim ancestry to the many loyalists which populated the area. Given that Loyalist artefacts are often difficult to discover, any information, photos, or records are often welcomed at the museum, not only to expand the exhibit but to preserve and often forgotten part of Canadian history. Any information regarding the Loyalists can be sent to the museum at bahsmuseum@outlook.com, and we're happy to answer any questions.

Below:﻿One of two paintings currently on display in the museum's loyalist exhibit, completed by local artist Grace Curtis. ﻿

]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2014 15:04:39 GMThttp://www.bedequemuseum.ca/blog/juneWell, it has finally arrived! the museum officially opened for business on June 3rd after a long winter of completing renovations on the second floor and attic space. The new display areas on the second floor each feature a detailed view into the history of Bedeque and the people who resided in the area during the early 20th century. Using artefacts which mainly came from the Howard Clark collection, the displays are also a testament to the great task undertaken by Howard to preserve the many thousands of artefacts which now fill the museum. The 2nd floor now features a wide array of scenes including everything from a chapel, to the "back-porch" which is depicted in the picture below. While items are still being catalogued and properly organized, the new displays are a must see and a perfect way to spend an afternoon!

January - The picture shows part of the second floor refurbishment. The sanded and stained floor looks great, and the carpentry work is well underway. The first of the new exhibits is starting to take shape.We will be adding posts to the website much more often this year. A new feature will be weekly story pieces on interesting artifacts and elements from the collections. These will be trailed on our Facebook page, so go there to be advised of what's new!

As the Museum's official opening on August the third approaches, it is time to reflect on everything that has happened the past most here at Bedeque Area Historical Museum. Our opening day on first of July was quite successful with over 100 visitors including one very special visitor, Howard Clark. As we walked with Howard throughout the museum, it was incredible to think that this man had collected all these items in such a short period of time. We are certainly very grateful for that. Ultimately, we believe that Howard enjoyed the way that his items were presented and will continue to be presented for some time. The picture to the left shows Howard on the opening day.

While our Grand opening, which took place on the First of July, was the HUGE success, the museum's official opening is actually happening this Saturday, August the third.

While it has not been long since the initial opening, the museum has changed in various aspects. Since the last post on the Museum website, each display offered here at the museum has been modified. Not only is there a wide array of new artifacts presented on the museum shelves, but there is also more information, knowledge, and stories presented with each tour. There are also a wide array of important persons invited to the museum this coming Saturday including the Honorable Catherine Callbeck, Prince Edward Island's 28th Premier. If this isn't enough to entice you to come, it is free for all age to come out and enjoy everything the museum has to offer!

While the third of August is a perfect opportunity to visit the museum, the displays as well as the tours are constantly changing, so it is surely a great idea to return!

]]>Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:03:43 GMThttp://www.bedequemuseum.ca/blog/only-three-days-leftAs July the first quickly approaches the staff here at the museum are digging deep to make opening day the best it can be. There are artifacts to be cleaned and cataloged, signs to be made, and displays to be perfected, not to mention floors to be scrubbed. We'd like to take a moment in this post to recognize and introduce our wonderful employees.

Our current staff consists of Noel Waite, Laura Neily, and June Dawson.

Noel is the most recent addition to the team. He will be the museum's interpreter and guide for the summer. He will be here at the museum five days a week (Tuesday through Saturday from 10am til 6pm, July 1st until August 30th). Noel is very knowledgeable and passionate about history, and will be very happy to show you around and even demonstrate some of the artifacts he helped restore to working order for you.

Behind the scenes is Laura Neily, our resident assistant curator. Laura has been with us since February and has put a lot of much appreciated energy into making our museum what it is through cataloging and exhibit design.

June Dawson is our supervisor trainee. June has been with the museum since December; she and Sharon Leighton (the volunteer head supervisor) laid the groundwork of cataloging our artifacts and designating exhibit areas. Under Sharon's watchful eye and helpful advice, June drives the team diligently in a multitude of ways to bring the entire project to fruition; be it digging up old advertisements to pair with artifacts or sewing a straw mattress to use in the child's bed, you can count on her to find a creative and swift solution to any museum conundrum!